44 DEPARTURES TRAVEL ON
44 DEPARTURES TRAVEL ON THE RADAR In the Know Evermore opulent ways to explore the world by rail, iconic architectural gems reborn as hotels and chic new resorts on sunkissed beaches. Here’s a look at the hottest developments in travel. By Claudia Roelke Return to the Rails The Golden Age of train travel has become a sort of sepiatinted fantasy featuring white-gloved servers, gold-buttoned conductors and mahogany dining-car booths where women don their finest furs as they sip champagne and watch the world as it unfurls before them. So appealing, in fact, is this vision that purveyors around the world are increasingly indulging in not only recreating rail travel’s sumptuous yesteryear, but throwing in a few 21st-century updates to enhance the journeys. On Belmond’s historic Venice Simplon-Orient-Express (belmond.com), for instance, a trio of new Grand Suites channel the heritage spirit and are respectively themed after Paris, Venice and Istanbul, three of the train’s most notable stops. Double beds, private bathrooms with showers and a personal cabin steward are joined by the spare-noexpense Art Deco décor created by design studio Wimberly Interiors, the firm behind Shanghai’s Bellagio and LA’s Four Seasons, among others. The sinks were created by a traditional glassblower; mosaics of onyx, Venetian granite and marble were constructed by internationally acclaimed artist Jérôme Clochard; a master cabinetmaker layered thousands of exotic woods to create stunning marquetry panelling; and there are embossed leathers and fine silks throughout. The opulence continues, on an even grander scale, on the Trans-Siberian route of Golden Eagle Luxury Trains The legendary Trans-Siberian Express wends its way through Russia’s vast interior; below: the new Istanbul Grand Suite on the Venice Simplon- Orient-Express (goldeneagleluxurytrains. com), which now features the lavish Romanov Suite that, in true royal style, comprises an entire carriage, with two bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, private chef and personal attendant. To date, it’s likely the most indulgent way to undertake the scenic journey across Russia’s remote interior from Moscow to Vladivostock. Developments in Japan’s thriving rail scene are only slightly less plush: the 17 suites on the recently debuted Train Suite Shikishima (jreast.co.jp/shikishima/en), which traverses the lush landscapes of the country’s east, are replete with luxuries, from hinokicypress-wood soaking tubs to a glass fireplace, not to mention a personal butler and French restaurant by Michelin-starred chef Katsuhiro Nakamura. FROM TOP: ANDREW GREGORY, © BELMOND
BELONGING MEANS FEELING SPECIAL A WORLD OF ADVANTAGES AND EXTRAS AWAITS YOU. JOIN NOW AT MELIAREWARDS.COM
